Part 1. Agency Selection Evaluation
The agency of interest is found under the Department of Family and Children Services. The agency is Child Protective Services Unit (CPS). The primary responsibility of this agency is to protect the interests of the children in Clayton County. These include ensuring that children attend school, are well protected from abusive parents, and have shelter and food. Thus, to achieve the objectives of the Agency, CPS has set up a 24-hour child report hotline:1-855-GA CHILD:1-855-422-4453 (Clayton County-Georgia, 2023). This makes it possible for anyone to report child abuse and neglect. The director of the Children Services is Deneka Manning, assisted by Kimberly Scott, the assistant director. Nakia Wilder is responsible for the Child Protective Services Agency, and Sasha Carr deputizes her. Eleanor Gray is the program director, and she is responsible for overseeing all the agency’s activities, including policies aimed at protecting vulnerable children from abuse (Clayton County-Georgia, 2023a).
The agency has an office of Family Independence, and its administrator is April Booker. She reports to Eleanor Gray, who is the program director. The Office of Family Independence’s responsibility is to assess vulnerable children and assist them independently. Additionally, the Child Protective Agency works with the Clayton police unit to protect the interests of children and enforce its policies and laws on child protection (Clayton County-Georgia, 2023a). The agency is assisted by several program administrators, who range from about 10-15 and coordinate with other local child units and non-governmental organizations to achieve their objectives. The point of contact for the interview was April Booker, the OFI Administrator. She provided great insight into the working of the agency, its strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities it has.
Part 2: Agency Evaluation Paper
Section 1: Organizational Description
- Mission: Vision and Mission
The organization’s mission is to provide child and social support to vulnerable children and their family members. The organization aims to achieve this objective through the Child Protection Agency, headed by Nakia Wilder.
The organization’s vision is to protect the well-being and health of vulnerable children and their family members. It helps to achieve this objective through child support systems, Medicaid and Medicare programs, and the [provision of food stamps.
- Overview of Programs: Description of Main Departments, Programs and Activities
The primary department is the Child Protective Services or Unit. This is a department responsible for protecting vulnerable children and family members. The Child Protective Agency provides Medicare, food stamps, TANF and Childcare services to children and their vulnerable families. The TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) explicitly targets families with children they cannot care for.
- Organizational Structure
The following is the organizational structure of the department:
Organization Structure for Family and Children Services Organization (Clayton County-Georgia, 2023a)
- Management and Leadership Style
It is a corporate authority management and leadership structure. The reason is that communication is top-down, and employees are not allowed to contribute to decision-making.
Section 2: Program Analysis
- SWOT Analysis
- The Most Significant Challenge the Organization Faced
Time constraint is the most significant challenge experienced by Child Protective Agency under its flagship program, Childcare. The reason for time constraints is the large number of caseloads that have increased for the last five years. This challenge makes it difficult for the case workers to schedule meetings that can help address the problem correctly and create an environment that enhances a child’s welfare.
- The Challenge and Impact on the Organization: Funding, Services, Human Resources and Regulation
The impact is that it has forced the organization’s management to look for more funds to help finance the agency’s operations. This includes grants and loans from the state and federal governments. Additionally, the organization has been forced to hire more caseworkers and collaborate with other like-minded agencies to promote the interests of the children.
- Strategic Planning and the Extent
There is no strategic planning taking place because the organization’s policies are highly bureaucratic and influenced by politicians, who may not be re-elected to office.
- Successful Response to Address Changes and Particular Management Philosophy
Any successful responses to address change are attributed to the Director of Social Services, Deneka Manning, who is responsible for policy implementation and evaluation. Furthermore, because this is a public institution where high-ranking members make policies, the managerial philosophy used to lead change is autocratic. The director of social services has the authority to make all the agency’s and the organization’s decisions.
Section 3: Resource Management Financial Analysis
- Financial Health of the Agency and Position of the Child Protective Agency
The organization’s financial resources are approved by the Family and Children Services Board. Therefore, because the government is funding the agency, it has always been able to meet its obligations. For instance, the TANF Program has about 326 active cases, with a monthly contribution of $ 83380 from the agency (Clayton County-Georgia, 2023b). The food stamps provision has about 69760 active cases, with a monthly contribution of $ 15 882 438.
- Funding Sources and Strategies Used to Handle Funding Shortages
The primary funding source is from the Clayton County Government, and the money is allocated to the organization based on its needs and budget. Moreover, in case of funding shortages, the organization will seek grants from the state and federal governments.
References
Clayton County-Georgia. (2023a). Department of Family and children services: Clayton County. Clayton County, Georgia |. https://www.claytoncountyga.gov/services/department-of-family-and-children-services/
Clayton County-Georgia. (2023b). Department of Family and Children Services, Clayton County Board of Directors Meeting held Wednesday, October 27th, 2021, at 10:00 AM. Clayton County.
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